April 05, 2010

Children stand ready to ship out from Bear Mountain to attend one of 100 Harriman State Park relief camps in the 1920s.

Valley Cottage Library Gallery hosts:

Images of the Palisades Interstate ParksMonth of April, 2010

Beginning today, Friday, April 2, the Valley Cottage Library's gallery will be hosting a one month exhibit of historic and contemporary photographs, paintings, postcards, and drawings depicting some of the treasures of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission's 28 state parks and historic sites. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a digitally scanned and stitched reproduction of a 16 foot panoramic pen and ink masterfully executed drawing from an unknown artist working in the late 1930s, It outlines the Hudson River waterfront beginning at Nyack Beach State Park and extending along the water until it ascends to Rockland Lake. The images are from the extensive Palisades Archives collection that documents Palisades' rich history.

The Gallery and exhibit are open for visitors during regular Library hours:

April 25, 2009

In the Project GalleryMarch 29 - June 28, 2009In celebration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s historic exploration of the waterway that bears his name, the KMA will present three solo exhibitions during the year to showcase contemporary artwork inspired by the Hudson River. All three artists live along the river’s banks and draw inspiration from its beauty, its ecology, and its rich maritime history.

Nancy Cohen is the first artist featured in the series. Using handmade colored paper, Cohen transforms the Project Gallery into a metaphorical waterway. Perspectives on Salinity: River from Within articulates the confluence where fresh water from the Adirondacks meets salt water from the Atlantic. The result is a dramatic installation that surrounds the viewer with waves of shifting color and subtle movement.

The Ghost Ships of the Hudson

Floating hotels on local waters lift spirits and conjure another era.

CONSTANCE ROSENBLUM

THE luxury liners that once crossed the Atlantic at a regular clip are of course a thing of the past, long since converted to cruise ships or disappeared entirely. And since 2005, some New York-bound cruise ships have been hanging a sharp right as they enter the harbor, heading not for the West Side’s Passenger Ship Terminal but for Red Hook, Brooklyn.

Still, many of them continue to make their way up the Hudson River en route to the piers in the West 40s and 50s. And as seen from the window of a Brooklyn Heights apartment with a sweeping view of the harbor, these ghost ships, as they almost beg to be called, are a haunting, almost mystical sight.

They typically swim into view sometime after 7 a.m., languid wedding cakes moving silently upriver. If the sun is rising, they are washed in a surreal lemony light. On foggy mornings, they are barely visible through the haze. They appear and disappear like great, slow-moving mirages, seemingly so evanescent they could vanish in the blink of an eye.

Though these vessels are typically about a thousand feet long, from such a distance they look scarcely bigger than a child’s bath toy. The colorful scrawl on their white hulls is indecipherable from so far away. And although you know that at this very moment several thousand passengers are milling about the vast decks, savoring the final moments of their journey, all this activity needs to be imagined, taken on faith.

Ghost ships give rise to romantic imaginings. They recall the heady days when the comings and goings of ocean liners and their starry-eyed occupants were big news, when every paper worth its salt had a ships’ news reporter and flashbulbs from bulky Speed Graphics, cameras of a now-bygone era, bathed arriving princes and showgirls and millionaires in sudden bursts of brightness. They bring to mind the pop of Champagne corks, the confetti, the giddiness, the hubbub.

The golden age of the luxury liner was a hard act to follow. But the ghost ships have their own quiet allure. To suddenly catch sight of one of these ships as you’re sipping coffee and desultorily leafing through the newspaper seems a small early-morning miracle. And once in a while, as you’re savoring your good fortune, out of the corner of your eye you spot a second ship. It feels like a lucky way to start the day.

Please support the Woodstock Film Festival and help us offset mounting costs by treating yourself to some of these wonderful items or by donating an auction item. Visit WFF NOT SO SILENT AUCTION for more items and details

At SUNY New Paltz

At Onteora High School

PLYMPTON DELIGHTS and INSPIRES

The Hudson Valley Programmers Group recently wrapped up an exciting screening and lecture series withOscar® nominated animator Bill Plympton, April 20-23. Plympton appeared at Marist College, SUNY New Paltz, Bard College and Onteora High School, sharing some of his favorite films and inspiring students and community members with his stories and advice. These events were free and open to the general public, giving many people the opportunity to see incredible independent animated shorts such as Guide Dog, Shuteye Hotel, Horn Dog, Santa Claus - the Fascist Years, and even a sneak peek of his newest animated feature Idiots and Angels.

Plympton's lectures and Q&A sessions were both hilarious and inspirational. He outlined the "Plympton Dogma", three rules that he applies to his filmmaking process. Try to make the film: 1. Short. 2. Cheap. and 3. Funny. (rules that he jokingly stated "also describe my girlfriends"). He answered questions about his drawing process, the ups and downs of the independent film world, and anything else that the audience was curious about. His approachability was one of the biggest highlights, especially at the end of the event when he patiently drew his lovably pitiful dog character on a postcard for each person in the crowd. During this time, some people took the opportunity to ask him questions about their own work. One high school student at the Marist event even got Plympton to look through her sketchbook and give her personal feedback, which he enthusiastically did.

Plympton is recognized as one of America's foremost illustrators, cartoonists and animators. His highly successful films have appeared with frenzied frequency at film festivals, on television and online.

I Believe Productions Presents: IDIOTS AND ANGELS VIP Screening and Birthday PartyIn celebration of documentary project Adventures in Plymptoons!, a film currently in production about Plympton and his work.

Thursday, April 30, 6pm at Helen Mills Theater in NYCEveryone who attends will receive a FREE drawing by Bill Plympton!

IDIOTS AND ANGELS is a dark comedy about a man's battle for his soul. Angel is a selfish, abusive, morally bankrupt man who hangs out at his local bar, berating the other patrons. One day, Angel mysteriously wakes up with a pair of wings on his back. The wings make him do good deeds, contrary to his nature. He desperately tries to rid himself of the good wings, but eventually finds himself fighting those who view the wings as their ticket to fame and fortune.Click here to watch the trailer.

SPECIAL SOHO HOUSE BENEFIT SCREENING: MONDAY, APRIL 27, 7PM Monday, April 27th at 7pm, join our host Stephen Hays of 120dbFilms and special guests from the cast for a screening of THE ANSWER MAN and reception with delectable hors d'oeuvres and complimentary CÎROC Vodka to benefit the 10th Anniversary of the Woodstock Film Festival.

John Hindman's comedy, THE ANSWER MANfollows author Arlen Faber (Jeff Daniels), who has gained fame from penning a book that has redefined spirituality. His life as a recluse becomes entangled when a chiropractor (Lauren Graham) and a recovering alcoholic (Lou Taylor Pucci) turn to him for guidance.

"Impressively executed by first time director John Hindman, The Answer Man is a delightful jab at the world of 'answer people,' those authors who write about topics far and wide, providing answers to life’s most difficult questions. As Hindman explains, he wanted to take one of these know-it-all authors and bring them to their knees. And he’s succeeded, as we find Arlen to be a very brilliant man, but also a lost soul who may not have ever had the answers in the first place. What makes it all work so well is that Hindman’s dialog is clever and insightful." (Neil Miller, Film School Rejects)

The film, which premiered in U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, was acquired for U.S. release by Magnolia Pictures. They plan to release the film theatrically this summer. "THE ANSWER MAN is a wonderfully acted and funny film,” said Magnolia Pictures President Eamonn Bowles. “We think that audiences are going to connect strongly with this moving story.”

MAN ON WIRE SCREENING: MAY 2, 3PM MATINEE MAN ON WIRE, the Oscar®-winning documentary, will be presented by WFF at Woodstock’s Tinker Street Cinema for a special matinee screening May 2nd at 3pm. The film will be followed by an intimate Q&A with high wire legend Philippe Petit; presented by and benefiting the 10th Anniversary of The Woodstock Film Festival.

On August 7th 1974, Philippe Petit, stepped out on a steel cable illegally rigged between New York’s Twin Towers, then the world’s tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the high wire, he was arrested, taken for psychological evaluation, and brought to jail for the spectacular event that became known as “the artistic crime of the century.” Based on Petit’s book To Reach the Clouds (newly released in paperback and re-titledMan on Wire), the film provides a rare glimpse into this audacious high-wire world with still photographs, stunning footage and reenactments.

With interviews shot in the Catskill Region of upstate New York, Petit relives his WTC adventure, “To me, it's really so simple, that life should be lived on the edge. You have to exercise rebellion. To refuse to taper yourself to the rules, to refuse your own success, to refuse to repeat yourself, to see every day, every year, every idea as a true challenge. Then you will live your life on the tightrope.”

In a recent Daily Freeman article, Philippe expressed his excitement about the upcoming screening in Woodstock.

“I am very happy that this film is shown in Woodstock, in the area where I live…,” he said. “I love very much the fact that this event is associated with the Woodstock Film Festival, because I love film, and I love any film festival. It’s a great way to promote the art of movies.”

SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA, Jonathan Demme's spellbinding documentary will be co-presented by WFF and Stranger Than Fiction at the IFC Center on Tuesday May 12 in Manhattan. The film will be followed by a reception and Q&A with Academy-Award® winning director Jonathan Demme.

In SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA, Demme captures the urgency, terror, humor and brilliance of single performer -- Spalding Gray, who stays seated behind a table at New York's Soho Performing Garage in 1987 for an intense monologue. Gray uses his experiences in Thailand filming the 1984 Academy Award winning film THE KILLING FIELDS as a springboard for all sorts of hilarious, moving digressions, notably a concise and bone-chilling history of Cambodia, and the mass murders brought about by Pol-Pot in the 1970's. There's also Gray's quest for "the perfect moment," a spiritual pursuit that involves drugs, detailed descriptions of the Bangkok brothels, and the apprehension involved in trying to memorize lines for the film. Fellow performance artist Laurie Anderson composed the background music, which along with the ingenious lighting and ambient sound effects perfectly accents Gray's delivery. Demme has crafted a brilliant film of a brilliant performer, infusing the proceedings with a real magnetic urgency, making it hard to look away even for an instant.

In a boundary-breaking musical adventure, award-winning banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck journeys to Africa to explore the little-known roots of the instrument. As he travels throughout the continent, he meets a glorious array of musicians, from superstars like Malian diva Oumou Sangare, to humble families that play their own makeshift instruments, to a master of a rare 12-foot xylophone. And while they may not understand each other's speech, their exhilarating spontaneous collaborations show that they do indeed share a rich language.

The WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL (Sept 30th – October 4th, 2009) is currently accepting submissions in all categories. Maverick Awards are presented for Best Feature ($5000 cash), Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Student Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Animation. Cash, prizes and/or services are given out in each category. Audience Awards are presented for Best Feature and Best Documentary. Award sponsors have included The Lee Marvin Estate, the late James Lyons, Lowel-Light, Apple Computers, Final Draft, Post Factory, A&E Indie Films, Docurama, Kodak, Baseline, Markertek, and others.

The Felice Brothers come to us from the Catskill Mountains where a homegrown sound has been working its way through the bloodlines for generations. Titled with a phrase drawn from the pages of Mark Twain, "Yonder Is The Clock" is teeming with tales of love, death, betrayal, baseball, train stations, phantoms, pandemics, jail cells, rolling rivers, and frozen winter nights. This is music that hasn't lost sight of the history of the land from which it came, and that quality alone makes The Felice Brothers the next great American band.

“How to Believe in God (Whether You Believe in Religion or Not) is a timely, beautifully crafted book. It’s especially relevant for Western seekers on either side of the biblical divide. For practicing Christians and Jews, the book will bring a stunning freshness to their understanding of the Bible. For those who have overlooked (or even rejected) the gospel of the Old and New Testaments, How to Believe in God will open hearts and minds to the profound treasures found within the Bible’s parables and lessons. And for those who have been trying to fill ‘the God-shaped hole’ with anything but religion, this book will be food for the soul without the dogmatic calories!” —Elizabeth Lesser, author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow and The Seeker’s Guide and co-founder of the Omega Institute.

“How to Believe in God is the book I have been looking for all my life.” —Gail Godwin, author of Evensong

SPONSOR NEWS:

The Woodstock FIlm Festival is thrilled to have CÎROC Vodka back on board as a sponsor of the 10th Annual Woodstock Film Festival and special events including The Answer Man screening at Sohoo House.

CÎROC Vodka is an ultra-premium vodka that celebrates the uncommon on every level; from the distilled Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes, grown in the historic Gaillac and Cognac regions of France, to the innovative cold fermentation and maceration techniques usually found in winemaking, to its subtle aromatics and smooth, naturally refined tastes.

CÎROC Vodka releases the true flavors of every cocktail. The sweet complexity of the distilled grapes draw out and complement the flavors of Whatever CÎROC Vodka is mixed with. Add to the CÎROC Vodka's distinctly clean finish and absence of alcohol burn, and you have a most uncommon vodka cocktail experience.

The Woodstock Film Festival is a nonprofit organization which presents an annual program and year-round schedule of film, music, and art-related activities that promote artists, culture, inspired learning, diversity, and sustainable economic development through film, video, and media production and exhibition.

Shoot your next film in the Hudson Valley Catskills...The Hudson Valley Film Commission promotes sustainable economic development by attracting and supporting film, video, and media production to the Hudson Valley Catskills.

Join us for special events through the year including HVPG screenings.The Hudson Valley Programmers Group is dedicated to creating, curating and administering a touring road show program that brings internationally renowned filmmakers and artists to the region, and providing them with the opportunity to exhibit their work and interact with the community.

Though its waters flow nearly a mile from the Albany Institute, the majestic power and rich history of the Hudson River will flow through the museum in 2009 as we welcome Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture. This unprecedented year-long exhibition will commemorate Henry Hudson’s 1609 exploration of the river that bears his name, and the remarkable narrative of the people, events, and ideas that have shaped this magnificent region.

Featuring hundreds of artworks, artifacts, interactive displays, and rare archival documents from the Albany Institute’s renowned collections, Hudson River Panorama encompasses five major themes relating the many agricultural, industrial, and cultural influences of this historic waterway:

º Community and Settlementº Natural History and Environmentº Transportationº Trade, Commerce, and Industryº Culture and Symbol

Complementing the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial—an international celebration stretching from New York City to Quebec Province—Hudson River Panorama will explore and narrate the influential force that the Hudson has had on our region, including settlement, agricultural cultivation, industrial growth, tourism, and the cultural prominence of the region's talented and creative artists, writers, architects, and landscape gardeners.

For more than three years, the Albany Institute has been researching topics related to the Hudson River in preparation for the exhibition and accompanying educational programs. The process has been a journey of exploration and discovery, unearthing accounts of the people and events that have shaped the history of the Hudson Valley. With a topic as vast and wide-ranging as the Hudson River, selecting key events, people, innovations, and ideas to relate broader narratives of the river has been both crucial and challenging.Visitors will rediscover the flora and fauna of the Hudson River Valley and compare historic and contemporary images that reveal how the human presence has shaped and changed the appearance of the river over the last 200 years. The exhibition is also designed to reveal interconnections among the various topics, with occasional surprises and unexpected associations.

Whether you are visiting the Albany Institute from the Hudson Valley or anywhere on the globe, Hudson River Panorama promises a stimulating and enjoyable look at one of America’s great rivers and the people and history it helped to shape.

Credits from top:

» Detail: Panorama of the Hudson River from New York to Albany, Wade & Croome, 1845, Albany Institute of History & Art Library

January 31, 2009

The Hudson in focus: Resolute photographer captures moods of the river, waiting for just the right moment

RICHARD ROTH

GETTING UP AND HIKING in the highlands at 4 a.m. is not for everybody. Neither is visiting a place again and again until the light is just right for a stunning photograph.

Photographer Greg Miller is willing to do both, and the results can be seen in his new book, The Hudson River: A Great American Treasure(Rizzoli International, 2008, $50). Miller says the early mornings are worth the effort, because it's his favorite light of the day (sunset comes in second). And while there were times when he "got lucky" during the book project, the majority of his landscape photographs required careful planning. "Most of the time I'll see a scene I like and pre-visualize the type of weather, time of day and quality of light I think would work best," he says. "My goal is to get the ultimate photo of any specific scene, and you can't just show up. For one shot I had to visit 12 times to get what I wanted."The Hudson River, an all-color, large-format 224-page book, has been published in association with Scenic Hudson, Inc., which will share in the royalties. The book's introduction is by Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan, and there is a foreword by noted environmentalist Bill McKibben. There was no shortage of material. "I knew a lot of places, and Scenic Hudson was helpful in building me a list of others," says Miller, who lives in Orange County. "I met with their staff, and we talked through all the places we thought should be represented. They knew a lot of places I was not familiar with." The entire length of the Hudson Valley is represented, from Manhattan to the Adirondacks. Miller used a 4-by-5 view camera and photographic film for the earlier images and a Nikon digital single lens reflex for the later ones. A computer program was used to produce panoramic views, overlapping succeeding images into a seamless whole. But nothing about the photographs themselves has been altered digitally; that is, the light and color is reproduced exactly as it was recorded by the cameras. "I don't do filters or digital manipulation," says Miller. "I get there by being there with the right light and weather conditions." Miller, 48, has a day job as an information technology manager for Sony. But he has always been a photographer, and the advent of digital technology increased his interest in the art form. "The last five years I got more serious," he says. "It was always hard to get prints made as a color photographer; even by professional labs. With digital printing I was able to make my own color prints, and they actually looked like the slides. It was very motivating to know that, by controlling the whole process, I was able to get a print that looked the way it was supposed to." The book itself evolved from an earlier plan devised by Reed Spalding, a staff writer for Scenic Hudson, who suggested comparing photos of every section of the Hudson in a book published decades ago with contemporary photographs of the same scenes. The focus changed during a meeting with the publisher. "Reed and Ned and I visited Rizzoli, and I showed my portfolio," says Miller. "The USA head [for Rizzoli] was in the room, and he decided to do this book rather than the original project." Producing The Hudson River was a 10-month project for Miller. "Most photographers aspire to have a book of their work," he says, "but for me this was great because it benefits Scenic Hudson and builds awareness of what they do. That was a bonus, from my perspective." Miller is chair of the New Jersey chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, which, like Scenic Hudson, is interested in protecting resources and helping spur smart growth and development. "We felt it was important to remind people of the extraordinary beauty of the Hudson Valley," says Sullivan. "We wanted people to have the physical evidence in their hands and be reminded and inspired that the Hudson Valley is a treasure, that its beauty is the foundation of economic prosperity and quality of life." The book is also an "underpinning," Sullivan says, of Saving the Land That Matters Most, the land conservation initiative Scenic Hudson has launched in conjunction with the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. The Quadricentennial celebrates the 400th anniversaries of Henry Hudson's voyage up the Hudson and Samuel de Champlain's first visit to the namesake lake, as well as the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's maiden journey up the river on the first commercially successful steamboat. "We felt very strongly that it was a crucial time to look ahead and ensure that we're laying the groundwork for the next 100 years," says Sullivan, "and that we're leaving a real legacy that contributes to the environmental health and economic prosperity of the Hudson Valley." Saving the Land That Matters Most has a goal of protecting a total of 65,000 acres, in partnership with Audubon New York, the Columbia Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, the Open Space Institute and numerous other organizations. More than 1,700 acres have been saved from development since the campaign began, including 320 forested acres visible from Olana State Historic Site, 19 acres of riverfront land abutting Clermont State Historic Site, 900 acres of working farmland in Dutchess and Columbia counties, and 116 acres of ecologically important Hudson River shoreline in Stockport and Greenport. "We're very pleased that this partnership came together, that Rizzoli agreed to publish the book, and that we were able to publish at the beginning of the Quadricentennial year," says Sullivan. "We have already seen the impact. People are inspired by the beauty captured by Greg's photographs, and they want to know 'where?' so they can go hiking on that ridge, or sailing or kayaking in that bay."The Hudson River is available from local bookstores, online booksellers, and area museum shops.

Artist's BiographyTom Doyle took up landscape photography full-time after retiring as a lieutenant from the New York City Police Department. During his 28-year career tenure with the police department, he spent three years in the Intelligence Division doing surveillance photography.

Tom’s work has been shown in several area galleries, including Arlington Gallery in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Valley Gallery in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, and has won professional print competitions including 2007 Print of the Year from the Dutchess Regional Professional Photographer’s Association and First and Second Place Awards from the Hudson Valley Region of the New York State Professional Photographer’s Society’s Spring 2008 Print Competition.Tom shoots both film and digital in a 35mm format.

HUDSON RIVER MILES

HUDSON RIVER MILES

The Hudson is measured north from Hudson River Mile 0 at the Battery at the southern tip of Manhattan. The George Washington Bridge is at HRM 12, the Tappan Zee 28, Bear Mountain 47, Beacon-Newburgh 62, Mid-Hudson 75, Kingston-Rhinecliff 95, Rip Van Winkle 114, and the Federal Dam at Troy, the head of tidewater, at 153. Entries from points east and west in the watershed reference the corresponding river mile on the mainstem.